I enjoyed escaping into the Jenny Colgan novel that I read last week, so I thought I'd try another! I wasn't disappointed because I loved this one, too. I have outgrown the shoe-buying, man-hunting sort of chick-lit that used to be ubiquitous. That doesn't mean that I would never read another (what a great escape they can be under certain circumstances!), but I really enjoy stories about nice young women who put hard work into building a life and a business and, yes, find love along the way. I'm not going to apologize for enjoying a little romance in my reading. I actually like it in my life, too!After Issy (Isabel) is downsized by her company and by her boyfriend, who also happens to be the boss, she decides to follow in her beloved grandfather Joe's footsteps and open a bakery in a quiet Street called Pear Tree Court. Colgan takes us through Issy's anguish at being so wrong about her relationship, her dealings with financing her new business (with a handsome but scruffy banker who is raising his little brother), her wonderful relationship with her rapidly failing grandfather, who shares personally annotated recipes throughout the book, and the development of new friendships and growing confidence in her ability to succeed on her own. I think that what attracts me most about this is that it features the good side of people, some of whom start out not all that nice on the surface. Issy is the type of person I like to have in my own life: not perfect, not overly confident, but caring and compassionate and with an ability to bring out the good in people. I'm going to be reading another of Colgan's books soon, so don't be surprised when you see the review! She is the perfect eventual heir to Katie FForde's young-women-of character-and-substance-pursuing-interesting- careers-while-also-hoping-to-meet-a-man legacy.
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